Releasable cable stake holder for trucks



Oct. 20, 1959 v c. DORN 2,909,379

CABLE STAKE HOLDER FOR IRUCKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22. 1957 1E; Q Q 9 IN V EN TOR.

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.RELEASABLE CABLE STAKE HOLDER FOR TRUCKS Filed March 22, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 20, 1959 RELEASABLE CABLE STAKE HOLDER FOR TRUCKS Filed March 22, 1957 c. DORN 2,909,379

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent O RELEASABLE CABLE STAKE HOLDER FOR TRUCKS Chester Dorn, Spokane, Wash., assignor to Spokane Kenworth Company, Spokane, Wash., a corporation of Washington Application March 22, 1957, Serial No. 647,822 12 Claims. (Cl. 280-145) The present invention relates to stake holders for bolsters that are used to support logs and the like. The bolsters are usually mounted on a vehicle and the logs are piled upon the bolster and held against rolling off by stakes at both ends of the bolster. The stakes must be mounted so that they can swing out and down from an upright position when the logs are to be removed from the bolster. It is the purpose or the present invention to provide a novel means for holding the stakesin upright position and releasing them which eliminates the danger of having a free chain or cable end when the holding mechanism is released.

It is customary in devices of this sort-to have a cable or chain which has one end secured at the side of the bolster and which extends up aroundthe stakeand then down and along the other side of the bolster to a lock device which secures the end of the chain or cable. An example of such a device will be found in the US. Patent No. 1,895,387 and US. Patent No. 1,852,448. Modern practice has substituted a different type of flexible member for the chains shown in these patents It is now customary to use a steel cable for this purpose. Various lock and release devices have been provided for holding the flexible member in locked position and for releasing it. In each instance, however, the end of the flexible member is released and flies out under the strain of the load upon it.

According to my invention I provide the flexible stake holding member as a loop having both ends secured at the sides of the bolster and having one portion thereof looped around the stake, with another portion thereof forming a second loop that extends around a latching device mounted at one side of the bolster. understood, of course, that there is a separate flexible member and latch device for each stake. The particular latch device that I have provided has distinct advantages in securing the loop which keeps the stake in upright Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the latch mechanism utilized to latch one loop in the flexible member to hold a stake upright;

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and e r Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5. I

Referring now to the drawings, my invention is shown as embodied in a bolster which is adapted to be mounted upon any suitable vehicle such as a truck to support logs and the like. The bolster 10 is of any suitable construction. At each end the bolster has a stake 11. I As best illustrated by Figures Z-and 3, the stakes are pivotally mounted upon pivot pins 12 which are in turn carried by two plates 13 and 14welded to thelend portion of the bolster 10. Gussets 15 are welded to the plates 13 and 14 and to the bolster 10 to strengthen the assem, bly. As illustrated in Figure 2, each stake 11 has a semicircular shoe .16 in its lower end, this shoe being shaped to rest upon the pivot pin 12 whenthe stake is upright but being capable of dropping from the pivot pin 12 when the stake falls down into its lowered position. A flexible connector 17 is attached to both the stake 11 and the bolster 10 to keep the stake from becoming entirely free-from the bolster.

The stakes 11 are held upright by flexible members 18, there being a member 18 for each stake. Each member 18 has one end fixed by suitable clamps 19 to a bracket 20 at one side of the bolster 10. From the clamps 19 the flexible member 18, which is preferably a steel cable, extends through eyelets 21 near the upper It will be position and in releasing it with a minimum of difliculty;

In the embodiment ofthe invention'as shown, the stakes are also mounted in such a fashion that they fall free of their pivot when released in order that they will not be bent or distorted when the bolster is being pulled forward alongside of 'the'logs that have been dumped.

The nature and advantages of my-inverition will ap'pear more fully from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the invention is shown. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and description are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the invention except insofar as it is limited by the claims.

Inthe drawings:

Figure 1 is an end 'view looking at abolster having a load of logs thereon with the stakes held upright to Figure 3 is a plan view looking down on Figure 2;

end of the stake 11, then down alongside the bolster 10 through an eyelet 22 on the bolster and crosses over the other cable 18 to provide a loop 18a which can be secured by a latching device 23. The end of the cable 18 adjacent to the loop 18a is secured by suitable clamps 24 to a bracket 25 at the other side of the bolster 10.

.From the foregoing description and the drawings, it will be obvious that this construction provides two flexible members 18, one for each stake 11, which flexible members have their opposite ends secured to the sides of the bolster with one loop of theflexible member extending around the stake 11 and the other loop positioned to be latched in place by the latching means 23 to hold the stake in upright position. There are no loose ends. l

Referring now to the enlarged showings of the latching means 23 in Figures 4 to' 6, this latching means comprises a pivot block 26 which is fixed to the bolster 10 and which provides curved, convex bearing surfaces 27 for a cable guide block 28 that is grooved at 29 to receive a flexible member '18. The block 26 is channeled withan annular channel 30 to receive a looped portion 31 of a rod 32that is welded to the block 28. The loop 31 in the rod 32 keeps the block 28 from falling free of the bolster 10'when the latch isreleased. l The. latch 23 is an over center latch; that is, it is so arranged that the pull on the flexible member 18" tends to hold the block 28 against the bolster 10 so that it is necessary inorder to release the latch, "to pry the mem ber 28 away from the bolster a slight amount. The rod 32 extends beyond the block 28on the bolster side and has a handle portion'33 provided with a knob 34- 'for convenience in prying or knocking the latch loose of pull from the channel'29 in which the cablei18 rests to the clamps 24 and the loop 22. In order to prevent accidental dislodgment of the latching device, twolugs 35 are welded to the bolster 10 in position to receive the extended portion-$3 of the rod 32 between them.

3 These lugs are apertured to receive a pin 36 outwardly of the portion 33 of the rod 32 when the latch is in closed position. The pin 36 is secured by a flexible connecting member 37 to the bolster 10.

It is believed that-the nature and advantages e of my invention will be clear from the foregoing description.

The flexible member 18, when it is clamped tothe bolster,

is made of such length between the clamps 1-9 andi24 that it will hold a stake *11 in the desired upright position when the bolster receives a load of logs, if the loop .18 is secured by the latch 23. As is evident from the showing in Figure 2, the loop 18a provides ample cable to permit a stake 11 to drop down when the latch 23 is released. The end of the rod 32 which lies on the opposite side of the latch from thehandle portion 33, projects beyond the block 28 a short distance to provide a convenient means of engaging the loop 18a in closing the latch. When the load is to be released, the operator merely pries or knocks the handle portion 33 outward away from the bolster far enough that the line offorce from the channel 29 to the clamps 24 is outside of the center 26a. The pressure on the stakes and the flexiblernember 18 by the logs will then force the latch to continue to release position. The bearing surfaces 27 of the block 26 take the thrust and wear of the block 28. They are sufficiently large to provide ample strength. Also they are fully exposed so they do not freeze or get clogged wtih foreign material so as to prevent the latch from working.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. In a supporting mechanism for logs including a bolster upon which the logs are supported and a stake mounted at one end of said bolster to swing from an upright log restraining position outwardly endwise of the bolster and downwardly to permit logs on the bolster to roll off of the bolster end, the improvement comprising a stake holding flexible memberhaving its ends fixed with respect to the bolster at points intermediate the ends of the bolster and extending about the stake, a guide on the'stake spaced from the pivotal mounting of the stake and slidably receiving said member, and a releasable latching .device mounted in fixed relation to the bolster between .one fixed end of the member and the end of the bolster remote fromthe stake over which the member is looped to-hold the stake upright.

2. In a bolster having stakes mounted at its ends to swing from' an upright-position outwardly endwise of the bolster anddownwardly to permit a'load on the bolster to move off the bolster at either end. the improvement comprising eyelets on'the stakes near the tops thereof, a

end of the bolster, the improvement comprising aflexible member slidably connected to the stake near'the tip thereof and having its ends affixed to the middle portion of the bolster, a latch device mounted on the bolster between one end of the flexible member and the end of the bolster remote from said stake, said latch device including a guide block over which said flexible member is looped to hold the stake in upright position, a pivot on the bolster. on which said guide block is pivoted to swing between a position extending toward said remote end of the .bolster, to-a position extending toward said stake, and means to secure said guide block in the first named position.

4. The invention defined in c1aim'3 w e S 4 the pivot for the guide block is upright and is farther from the bolster than a line from the contact of the flexible member with the guide block in the first named position to the last named end of the flexible member, whereby pull of the flexible member on the guide block urges the guide block toward the bolster.

5. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein the pivot for saidguide block is a block affixed to thebolster having spaced apart portions with exterior convex curved bearing surfaces facing toward said remote end of the bolster, and having an annular channel between said portions and wherein a bar on the guide is curved into a loop that seats in said channel.

6. In a bolster having a stake mounted at one end thereof to swing from an upright position outwardly and downwardly to permit a load on the bolster to move off, the improvement comprising guide means on the stake intermediate its ends, a flexible member slidably received insaid guide means, said flexible member having its ends fixed to'the bolster and having a loop therein extending from one fixed end toward the end of the bolster remote from the stake, and a latching device for said flexible member mounted on the bolster between one fixed end of said flexible member and the end of the bolster remote from the stake, said latching device releasably securing the loop of the flexible member to tighten the flexible member around the stake and hold the stake upright.

7. In a load supporting mechanism including a bolster upon which the load is supported and a stake mounted adjacent one end of said bolster to swing from an upright load restraining position outwardly and downwardly to permit the load to move off the bolster, the improvement comprising a flexible member having its ends fixed with respect to the bolster at points intermediate the ends of the bolster and extending outwardly around the stake, a releasable latching device mounted in fixed relation to the bolster and positioned between one fixed end of the flexible member and the end of the bolster remote from the stake, and the flexible member having a loop formed therein extending from one fixed end toward the latch member, 'said loop being releasably engaged with the latch member to maintain the flexible member taut about the stake to hold the stake upright, said loop providing slack to permit the stake to swing down when the loop is released from the latch member.

.8. In a bolster having a stake mounted adjacent one end to swing from a load restraining position outwardly and downwardly to permit a load on the bolster tov move off, the improvement in means for releasably supporting the stake comprising aflexible member having its ends fixed to the bolster intermediate the ends of the bolster and extending outwardly around the stake, a releasable latchmember mounted on the bolster between one fixed end of the flexible member and the end of the bolster permit the load to move off the bolster, the improvement comprising a flexible member having its ends fixed with respect to the bolster at points intermediate the ends of the bolster and extending outwardly around the stake, a latch device mounted on the bolster between one end of the flexible member and the end of the bolster remote from said stake, said latch devicegincluding a guide block overwhich ,saidflexible member is'looped to hold the stake in upright position, a pivot on the bolster on which said guide block is pivoted to swing between'a position extending toward said remote end of the bolster, to a position extending toward said stake, and means to secure said guide block in the first named position.

10. The invention defined in claim 9 wherein the axis of the pivot for the guide block is upright and is farther from the bolster than a line from the contact of the flexible member with the guide block in the first named position to the last named end of the flexible member, whereby pull of the flexible member on the guide block urges the guide block toward the bolster. I

11. The invention defined in claim 9 wherein the pivot for said guide block is a block afiixed to the bolster having spaced apart portions with exterior convex curved hearing surfaces facing toward said remote end of the bolster, and having an annular channel between said portions and wherein a bar on the guide is curved into a loop that seats in said channel.

12. In a bolster for supporting logs, a log restraining stake at one end of the bolster, means on the bolster supporting said stake thereon for swinging movement out- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 990,241 Dunlap Apr. 25, 1911 1,360,002 Meany Nov. 23, 1920 1,611,744 Harrigan Dec. 21, 1926 1,895,387 Linn Jan. 24, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 118,792 Sweden May 13, 1947 

